UPDATE: Christopher Judge won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2022!
As the year draws to a close, many are anticipating a hotly-contested battle for Game of the Year between FromSoftware’sElden Ringand Santa Monica Studios’God of War Ragnarok.There are many other awards up for grabs atThe Game Awards 2022though, and a plethora of prospective winners are on display.Thanks to the likes ofThe Last of Us, for most AAA games there is now just as much emphasis placed on a powerful narrative than the gameplay itself. As technology improves, techniques such as motion capture ensure that video games are transforming interactive storytelling in ways never before seen. This makes categories such as Best Performance even more important than they’ve ever been, with voice actors playing a more substantial role than before.
The Best Performance category this year is brimming with talent, and none of the five candidates came as a surprise. The nominees include Ashly Burch who playsAloy inHorizon Forbidden West, Charlotte McBurney as Amicia de Rune inA Plague Tale: Requiem,God of War Ragnarok’s Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic who play father and son Kratos and Atreus, respectively, and Manon Gage, who plays Marissa Martel inImmortality.
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Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic - God of War Ragnarok
Of the six candidates, perhaps unsurprisingly, two come fromGod of War Ragnarok. Santa Monica Studios' epic sequel to the2018 Game of the Yearhas certainly lived up to expectations and received a host of near-perfect review scores from various media outlets on release. The game is actually up for an incredible 10 awards in total, including Game of the Year and Best Narrative. The Best Performance category pits father against son though, with both Christopher Judge’s Kratos and Sunny Suljic’s Atreus/Loki up for the award.
With so much of the game centered onKratos and his son’s evolving, complex relationship, two titanic performances were needed from the talented duo. Thankfully, they both rose to the occasion and surpassed all expectations. Sunny Suljic slipped back into the role of Atreus with incredible ease. The young adult has been through many changes during this period, both emotionally and physically, and Suljic was able to convey this perfectly in his performance. His portrayal showed that Atreus is no longer a child, and is more than capable of making balanced, logical, and confident decisions.
Christopher Judge’s portrayal of Kratoshas absolutely everything.Ragnaroksees Kratos' character come full circle, embracing the softer side of his heart and even advising his son to do the same, openly asking Atreus to disregard his previous advice. Despite events in the game driving Kratos to embrace the dark, brutal side that everyone knows all too well, by the campaign’s end, the protagonist has become a very different person compared to who he was at the start of his Norse journey. Judge conveys a wide range of emotions effectively, with every word uttered giving players a sense of the weight on Kratos' shoulders, and there’s a sense of weariness in Kratos' voice that perfectly captures the toll events have taken on him.
Charlotte McBurney - A Plague Tale: Requiem
Anyone who playedA Plague Tale: Innocencewill not have been surprised by its sequel’s success. The story of two young children finding their way across France in the 14th century while avoiding the Inquisition and the plague proved to be a captivating one, and the blend of stealth mechanics helped bring the siblings' turmoil to life. The sequel,Requiem, raises the stakes sufficiently and sees protagonist Amicia de Rune come of age. Charlotte McBurney’s portrayal of the 15-year-old who has found herself in the position of guardian over her younger brother is appropriately measured, and the character shows a maturity that belies her years.
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Manon Gage - Immortality
Of all the games on this list,Immortalityis likely to be the one people know the least about. This interactive film video game was released for Windows and Xbox in August and earned glowing reviews from critics thanks to its unusual concept and highly engaging narrative. The story centers on a fictionalmodel-turned-actress who is played by Manon Gage, who mysteriously disappears. The player must uncover her fate by piecing together real video clips in a non-linear format. Many critics have been highly complimentary of Gage’s performance, with some even going so far as to call her a superstar in the making. The fact that she is in such esteemed company on this list speaks volumes in terms of her performance
Ashly Burch - Horizon Forbidden West
As a game,Horizon Forbidden Westhas been somewhat overshadowed by bothElden RingandGod of War Ragnarok, with many feeling that it is severely lagging behind both titles in terms of the overall Game of the Year award. Perhaps the sequel played it a little too safe, despite expanding the open world considerably and presenting one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous games seen to date. As a franchise though, much ofHorizon’s success can be tied to Aloy’s popularity. The headstrong, caring, and tough-as-nails protagonist is better than ever inHorizon Forbidden West, and Ashly Burch brings Aloy to lifewith a sense of composure and assuredness that perfectly conveys her ascent from uncertain youngster to confident leader. With Burch also playing Elisabet and Beta, with the latter featuring prominently and having a completely different personality from Aloy, this performance is worth celebrating.
Final Prediction
In terms of the winner, despite the tough competition, it’s extremely hard to look past Christopher Judge’s dominant display as Kratos. Over the course ofGod of War Ragnarok’s journey, Judge is required to be a teacher, a champion, a friend, a negotiator, a leader, and most importantly, a father. He is able to fulfill each of these roles comfortably, and even when the story requires him to change his character’s role and emotions at a considerable pace, Judge’s performance does not falter. In fact, it excels.
Ironically, Judge’s closest competition probably comes from his in-game son Sunny Suljic.Atreus arguably shares the limelight equally with Kratosthroughout the game and manages to hold his own, which is no easy task. Suljic’s ability to take Atreus from a secondary character as a young teenager to a dual protagonist as a young man cannot be overlooked, but ultimately, absolutely no one should be surprised if Christopher Judge walks away with the Best Performance award for his career-defining turn as Kratos inGod of War Ragnarok.
